Bottle cap punch



w. a... CYQMPEREI 2,231,7 9

BOTTLE CAP PUNCH Filed Dec'. 21, 1939 Swami/071 Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to punching or puncturing devices and pertains particularly to a novel means for puncturing the skirt port-ion of a bottle cap of the type commonly employed for closing bottles of soft-drinks and the like.

It is well known that extensive use is made by both children and adults of caps such as are used for closing soft drink bottles, in the manufacture of various novelty objects and in order that the caps may be properly secured together by the use of string or wire, it is necessary that the flange or skirt portion of each cap be provided with holes through which the securing means may be passed. The formation of these holes is difficult due to the smallness of the cap and the fact that it is not easy to hold the cap in a proper position while the hole is being made through the skirt portion. The holes must also be made one at a time, therefore, a considerable time is consumed in punching the several holes which are necessary in order to use the cap in combination with other caps in making a novelty.

The present invention has for its primary object to'provide a novel means of holding and simultaneously forming in the skirt portion of a soft drink bottle cap a plurality of apertures and also forming such apertures in a way which will turn rough edges of the metal inwardly so that there will be no danger of the user of the cap injuring himself upon torn bits of the metal such as might be formed in punching the skirt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap skirt puncturing means which is so designed that the cap may be firmly secured in a horizontal position while the skirt is being punctured so that any possibility of the cap shifting from position is avoided and the apertures will all be formed in every cap at the same distance from the top or surface of the cap, thereby making it possible to join a number of caps together in'such a way as to produce neat work.

The invention more specifically comprises an annular support over which a bottle cap may be placed with the skirt portion of the cap extending downwardly across the outer side of and encircling the support, the support having a number of openings or slots in the top edge thereof. In association with this support there are provided two levers pivotally supported upon opposite sides of the annular cap support, for swinging movement in vertical planes with respect to the can support, the levers carrying punches which are arranged to extend through the openings or slots of' the cap support so that when the levers are oscillated toward the cap support, the punches will be forced through the skirt of a cap mounted on the support andwill pass through the apertures of the supporting annulus.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In 'the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the cap punch embodying the present invention, showing a cap in position upon the supporting annulus, this section being taken substantially on the line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, the cap being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the cap supporting unit per se, the punch supporting levers, shafts and spring being removed.

Referring now more'particularly to the drawing, the cap punching device embodying the present invention comprises an annular body'l which is of substantial height, as shown, and which has its upper edge provided with a plurality of substantially equi-distantlyspaced apertures or slots 2. This body is supported in a suitable manner in a horizontal plane by which it is meant that the axis of the body is vertically disposed with the slotted edge extending upwardly and there is here shown for the support of the annular body a pair of leg members 3 extending downwardly from the lower edge of the annular body at diametrically opposite points thereon and merging with a horizontally disposed transversely extending foot bar or plate 4. Each of these plates 4 which is disposed in a vertical plane, as shown in Fig. 3,-is integral with a laterally extending foot flange 5 which is provided with an aperture 6 through which a securing screw or other element may be passed for securing the punch device to a supporting surface. At each end of each foot bar 4 there is a short inturned lip I, the purpose of which will be hereinafter stated.

Each of the foot bars 4 adjacent each end has an aperture 8 formed therethrough and each transversely alined pair of apertures 8 has disposed therein an end of a pivot pin 9 which extends across and connects the adjacent ends of the foot bars 4.

Each of the pivot pins 9 extends through a hinge sleeve In which is formed across the lower end of a lever II, so that such lever is supported upon the pivot pin 9 for rocking movement in a vertical plane and since the pivot pins 9 are spaced apart a distance greater than the overall diameter of the annulus I and are equi-distantly spaced from the axial center of the annulus, it will be seen that each of the levers II when vertically disposed, will extend across and in close proximity to the outer side of the annulus. In order to give rigidity to each of the levers II, there is extended longitudinally of the same at each longitudinal edge an inwardly extending web I2.

The sleeves It] of the levers I I are centrally transversely divided so as to form each sleeve in two parts which are slightly spaced apart leaving an opening by means of which access may be had to the central part of the supporting pivot pin 9. Through these open areas I3 between the two portions of the pivot sleeves I0, 2. wire spring I4 engages adjacent each of its ends, about a pivot pin and has the adjacent end portion extended upwardly and bearing against the inner face of the adjacent lever Ii, as indicated at I5 in. Fig. 1. These end portions I5 of the wire spring normally tend to move outwardly and they, therefore, constantly urge the levers to swing on the pivot pins fi away from the vertical center of the punch device and this outward swinging movement is limited by the inturned lips 'I which extend partway across the backs of the adjacent levers.

Each of the levers I I carries two punch pins I6 upon its inner face and these pins are arranged so that when the supporting lever is brought to a vertical position, the points of the pins will extend through the adjacent recesses 2 of the annulus I which constitutes the supporting head for a bottle cap.

A bottle cap is shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by the numeral IT and is disposed in the position over the top of the annular supporting head which it occupies while having the skirt portion I8 thereof punctured by the pins It. In order that the cap may be securely retained in position on the head or annulus, the top edge of the annulus is cut at two opposite places to form the inwardly extending closely spaced slots I9 so as to provide between such slots a tongue 20. These tongues are bent outwardly slightly as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thus when the cap I! is fitted down over the annulus I, the fluted portion of the cap skirt will snap over the out-turned ends of the tongues and the tongues will thus serve to retain the cap securely in place.

From the foregoing, the operation of the present punch device will be readily apparent. The levers I I will be normally swung outwardly to the positions in which they are shown in-broken lines in Fig. 1, and after the cap I! is placed in position on the supporting head or annulus, the levers are then moved together so as to force the points of the puncturing pins I6 through the skirt of the cap. Upon release, the levers will move outwardly again and the cap may be removed and a new one placed in position for puncturing.

While the cap supporting head or annulus I has here been'illustrated as being shaped or made integrally with the supporting legs 3 and the base or foot bars 4, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to this specific form of assembly of the parts, as it will be readily obvious that other suitable supporting means may be provided for the cap supporting annulus and for the levers which are moved relatively to the annulus to effect the puncturing of the skirt thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for puncturing the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising an annulus formed to receive and hold a bottle cap in concentric relation therewith, the annulus having a plurality of apertures therethrough which are covered by the skirt portion of a supported cap, a supporting means for the annulus, a pair of punch carrying levers pivotally supported at opposite sides of the annulus to be oscillated relative to one another and to the annulus where they may be brought into substantially parallel relation and parallel to the axial center of the annulus when in punching position, and punching members carried by said levers in a position to extend through the skirt portion of a cap on the annulus and through said apertures when the levers are brought into said parallel relation.

2. A device for puncturing the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising an annular head formed tosupport a bottle cap in coaxial relation therewith, said head having apertures which are covered by the cap skirt when the cap is supported in position on the head, a lever pivotally supported adjacent the head to be oscillated into a position relative to the head where it extends across the skirt portion of a supported cap, punch members carried by the lever in a position to be forced through the cap skirt and into said apertures when the lever is brought into the said position where it extends across the skirt, and means forming a part of the annular head for engagement by the skirt portion of a cap mounted thereon for maintaining the cap against accidental displacement from the head.

3. A device for punching apertures in the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising a base consisting of a pair of relatively long spaced parallel bars, a leg member connected with and extending upwardly from each bar at the transverse center of the same, an annulus supported upon said leg members with an upwardly directed edge, said upper edge of the annulus having a series of notches therein, the annulus being of a diameter to receive and support a bottle cap coaxially therewith with the flange of the cap covering said apertures, a pivot pin connecting each two adjacent ends of said bars, a lever pivotally supported at one end upon each pivot pin, said pivot pins being spaced apart to lie outside of the area defined by the annulus whereby said levers may be raised to vertical parallel positions in which they extend across the annulus and across the flange of a bottle cap supported by the annulus, and punch pins carried by each of said levers and each arranged to enter an aperture when the supporting lever is raised to the position in which it extends across the annulus, to penetrate the skirt portion of a supported cap.

4. A device for punching apertures in the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising a base consisting of a pair of relatively long spaced parallel bars, a leg member connected with and extending upwardly from each bar at the transverse center of the same, an annulus supported upon said leg members with an upwardly directed edge, said upper edge of the annulus having a series of notches therein, the annulus being of a diameter to receive and support a bottle cap coaxially therewith with the flange of the cap covering said apertures, a pivot pin connecting each two adjacent ends of said bars, a'lever pivotally supported at one end upon each pivot pin, said pivot pins being spaced apart to lie outside of the area defined by the annulus whereby said levers may be raised to vertical parallel positions in which they extend across the annulus and across the flange of a bottle cap supported by the annulus, punch pins carried by each of said levers and each arranged to enter an aperture when the supporting lever is raised to the position in which it extends across the annulus, to penetrate the skirt portion of a supported cap, and an upwardly extending outwardly pressed tongue formed from said annulus adjacent the top edge thereof and adapted to frictionally engage the skirt of a cap to maintain the cap in position.

5. A device for punching apertures in the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising a base consisting of a pair of relatively long spaced parallel bars, a leg member connected with and extending upwardly from each bar at the transverse center of the same, an annulus supported upon said leg members with an upwardly directed edge, said upper edge of the annulus having a series of notches therein, the annulus being of a diameter to receive and support a bottle cap coaxially therewith with the flange of the cap covering said apertures, a pivot pin connecting each two adjacent ends of said bars, a lever pivotally supported at one end upon each pivot pin, said pivot pins being spaced apart to lie outside of the area defined by the annulus whereby said levers may be raised to vertical parallel positions in which they extend across the annulus and across the flange of a bottle cap supported by the annulus, punch pins carried by each of said levers and each arranged to enter an aperture when the supporting lever is raised to the position in which it extends across the annulus, to penetrate the skirt portion of a supported cap, each of said bars having an inturned. end tongue constituting a stop member for limiting the outward swinging movement of the adjacent lever, and spring means normally urging said levers to swing outwardly away from the annulus and into contact with the adjacent tongues.

6. A device for puncturing the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising an annular head formed to support the bottle cap with the skirt inside the head or outside and encircling the head and concentric therewith, a lever pivotally supported at one end for oscillation on a pivot disposed substantially at the periphery of the area defined by the head whereby the lever may be moved relative to the head into a position to extend across the periphery of a cap mounted on the head, the other end of the lever extending beyond the cap supporting part of the head a sufficient distance to be grasped by the hand to provide a handle by means of which the lever is oscillated for a punching operation, and a puncturing pin carried by the lever and extending from a side thereof to penetrate said cap skirt when the lever is moved into the said position where it extends across the periphery of the cap.

7. A device for puncturing the skirt portion of a bottle cap, comprising a circular head formed to support a bottle cap in coaxial relation therewith, a lever pivotally supported adjacent the head to be oscillated into a position relative to the head where it extends across the skirt portion of a supported cap, punch members carried by the lever in a position to be forced through the cap skirt when the lever is brought into the said position Where it extends across the skirt, and means forming a part of the circular head for engagement by the skirt portion of a cap mounted thereon for maintaining the cap against accidental displacement from the head.

WILLIAM L. COMPERE. 

